References

I've found the following four references to be invaluable in understanding tramway company history, the intricacies of civic coats of arms, what is actually out there in terms of tramway uniform buttons, and the origins of the London Underground/Transport 'bullseye' logo.


Tramway company history: 'The Directory of British Tramways - Every Passenger-Carrying Tramway, Past and Present', Keith Turner; Patrick Stephens Limited (1996). ISBN 1 85260 549 9.

This book is the seminal work on British tramway systems, containing detailed accounts of the histories, working and stock of over 350 lines and systems. RRP is £24.99, however, secondhand copies are reasonably easy to obtain for around £10.00. Try 'Abebooks' secondhand book search - click on the link to go to Abebooks.

Civic heraldry: 'Civic Heraldry of England and Wales'. Robert Young's extremely impressive web site containing descriptions and images of over 550 local authority heraldic designs, both current and obsolete. Basically, everything you wanted to know about armorial devices, as well as translations of the latin mottos that frequently appear on tramway buttons. Click on the following hypertext link to go to the Civic Heraldry website.

Tramway buttons:
'Tramway Buttons of the British Isles - Part One'', Alan R Williams. Button Lines, Issue 113 (December 2002): p10-13. Contains brief descriptions and photos of Accrington (No 1) through to Lytham St Annes (No 45).

'Tramway Buttons of the British Isles - Part Two'', Alan R Williams. Button Lines, Issue 114 (March 2003): p8-11. Contains brief descriptions and photos of Manchester (No 46) through to Bradford (No 82), as well as details of other buttons known to exist (no photos).

'Tramway Buttons of the British Isles - First Update'', Alan R Williams. Button Lines, Issue 116 (September 2003): p13. Short update adding four new buttons (Nos 83 to 86) and additional information on buttons in Parts One and Two.

Button Lines is the Journal of the British Button Society (ISSN 0309-121X). Back copies of these issues can be obtained by contacting the British Button Society, who will let you know who to write to. Back issues usually cost either £2.50 (B&W) or £3.50 (Colour). Click on the following hypertext link to go to the British Button Society's home page web site.

The London Underground/Transport 'bullseye': 'A Logo for London'. David Lawrence; Capital Transport Publishing (2000). ISBN 185414 232 1.

This books charts the origins and subsequent development of the iconic London Underground bar and circle logo, historically referred to as the 'bullseye' ('roundel' post 1972). This device was first used by the Underground Electric Railways of London Limited, and was eventually disseminated across various companies within that group - including London United Tramways, Metropolitan Electric Tramways and South Metropolitan Electric Tramways - finally being adopted by London Transport.